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  Discussion on Summer 2000
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Posted on Sunday, Jul 9, 2000 - 12:34 am:

Unfortunatly, my horses previous owner thought the most effective worming method was to snub poor Ace to a tree so he couldn't move and stuff the wormer down his throat. Needless to say, my horse has a terrible syringe-phobia. Rather than fight with him, I take two graham crackers, squirt the wormer on one, and make a wormer, graham cracker sandwich - my horse loves it!

Posted on Sunday, Jul 9, 2000 - 1:38 pm:

I have been known to 'inject' it into a doughnut - my mares fave treat!

Posted on Sunday, Jul 9, 2000 - 9:01 pm:

wow! a graham cracker sandwich..and doughnuts..now that is interesting..pretty cool idea. I board at a large ranch and I am sure there is someone out there that has problems with giving wormers to their horse, I shall remember those ideas and pass them along. :)

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 11, 2000 - 3:12 pm:

Are you trying to figure out your TB's pedigree?

My very favorite site for TB pedigree research is https://www.dmtc.com/dmtc98/pedgree/

This is the Del Mar Pedigree Query - all you need is a TB's registered name.

If you can't find your horse, or the tree isn't filled in, they respond to a research request very quickly, too.

I just learned my new filly is related to all kinds of cool TBs on her mum's side - including Bold Ruler, War Admiral, Nasrullah, Princequillo, Ack Ack, Brantome ... way cool.

Now, my Silke mare has her own set of TB relatives - Sir Gallahad, Reigh Count who was so mean he bit another horse while racing (now I know where that attitude comes from), The Tetrarch, Omar Khayyam, etc.

In rummaging through the site, I figured out Silke and my new filly are distant cousins, too.

Cheers all. Have fun checking those TB family trees.

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 12, 2000 - 1:43 am:

Regarding foals and burned behinds from foal heat diarrhea...I've found that Desitin skin care ointment works extremely well on that tender skin. I've used bag balm and other vasoline products in the past, but the urine, feces, and tail hair seem to wipe it off within an hour or so as those little tails go miles a minute to keep away from that burned behind. The Desitin (although it is white) stays where it is put. And it is easy to tell when it needs to be reapplied (the white is no longer present). It is also specifically designed to repel urine and feces, and condition skin. Before you use it, test a small spot on the sore skin to observe for any adverse reactions, a day is usually sufficient, (I've never run in to any on my own foals). Then wipe on as directed on the tube. The pain subsides almost immediately from the soothing effects of the ointment. Hair seems to grow back sooner as well if caught early. Shavings and straw don't seem to stick to Desitin like they do to vasoline and bag balm, it won't melt off from heat, run off from urine, or be easily wiped off by a tail. For about $3.00 a tube, lasting for ~10 foals, it sure beats other remedies I've tried both for convenience and cost. The foals seem to like it too!

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 12, 2000 - 7:45 am:

I show American Saddlebreds and Arabians. I was so pleased to learn this grooming tip from a long time horse groomer turned World Class trainer. He uses listerine in a spray bottle to spray over his horses bodies - not the manes or tails, just the bodies and then he brushes it or wipes it with a cloth towel. I was amazed at the results. I have never seen such a glossy shine that stays and it repels dust like crazy. Horse smells great too! You must wash and dry horse first. This is what you do to prep him for the show ring and it does not make the horses coat slippery where you put your saddles or harness.

Posted on Thursday, Jul 13, 2000 - 4:20 pm:

Barbara, thanx for responding to my sheath cleaning techniques, I will now use Ivory soap & rinse with warm water - I've never run into trouble with the hibitane, but I won't chance it again! Thanx

Posted on Friday, Jul 28, 2000 - 7:36 am:

I had to bandage a gaping hole in my horse's cheek for a month or more while it healed - he had this done so that the vets could take biopsies of a tumour in his maxillary sinus.

This was very difficult to cover, as the sticky tape used initially to keep the gauze padding on really hurt him when it had to be pulled off - and there was so much bleeding that I initially had to change the dressing at least 3 times a day.
And sometimes the dressing slipped as well.He started to get very neurotic, understandably.

We then came up with the idea of a stocking, and the vet managed to find a roll of stockinette which was ideal, but one could easily use a really stretchy stocking/top of tights/pantihose, etc.

You put the horse's nose in the stocking then pull it up over the horse's nose, over his eyes, so the top front edge is covering his forehead, the back edge is in the throat latch and the bottom edge is a few inches higher than his nostrils. You then put your hand inside the stocking, over his eyes, and snip two small holes which easily enlarge as you pull the fabric. If the horse is good about his ears, you then snip two holes in the stocking at the top, and put the ears in the holes as anchor points. If the horse is NOT good about his ears, like mine, you can take a flyfringe, cut off the fringe, put it on him and use the join of the earband/browband to attach the stocking, with little pieces of string. Hard to explain, really.

We then put a wad of gauze over the wound, under the stocking, smoothed the stocking over this, then twisted the stocking at the back until it was fitting snugly round his jaw, and then wrapped a strong elastic band round the twisted part.

The bandage is then comfortable for him, easy to put on and take off to bathe the face and replace the gauze dressing, and keeps flies totally away from the wound. I found I got two uses of each piece of stocking - after that, the stocking was a bit too tatty to re-use.

Hope this might help someone else with a head wound to look after.

Posted on Sunday, Jul 30, 2000 - 9:36 pm:

Watermellon Slushies

This is a great trick to use for those horses who are bit under the weather due to illness or injury, or possibly out of sorts from a recent change of location.

Take 1/8 of a seedless watermellon and dice into 1/2 inch squares (rind and all). For the first Slushie add only a few cups of watter and squish the watermellon up with your hand which will make a thick watermellon juice with floating chunks.

As the horse learns that there are treats to be had if they suck the juice you can add more water. Usually by the 3rd one I am up to 2 gallons of watter to 1/8th watermellon. They will suck the whole bucket down and lick the bottom. If the horse is a bit on the dehydrated side I'll add a small amount of electrolites to it. I have even hidden some meds in the slushie

This is great for getting their watter intake up or just to give them a special treat. But be warned, your likely to get wet when they start bobbing for watermellon! :0)

NOTE: If you dealing with colic after care do not put the rind in, your vet will curse you out if he has to try to get those unstuck from a stomach tube.

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 2, 2000 - 8:27 am:

Cheap and cheerful hoof quality improver


I picked this up from a UK web site and although I've never had to try it alot of people contacted the site to say that their farrier swears by it - you'll never believe it but its oil from your deep-fat frier!! Apparently it is much closer to the natural oils in the hoof than any made-up (ie. expensive) preparation and you just paint it on with a brush like any other hoof oil. As I rarely fry anything (very virtuous :) ) I shall just have to hope that the sunflower oil I add to my horse's feeds will make its way down to her extremities via gravity!!

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 30, 2000 - 11:51 am:

Trying out a new (english) saddle?

It can be difficult to fully assess a new saddle if you don't ride in it at least once. Most places will say not to put on stirrups as the stirrup leathers can mark the leather and then you can't return it. If you want to ride in stirrups take a pair of adult tube socks and cut out the toe. Thread the stirrup leathers through the socks so that they are fully encased in the sock. Use an elastic to hold the sock at the top and, needed, at the bottom. That way you can ride and the leathers won't rub! :)


TeresaA

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 30, 2000 - 4:34 pm:

The sock idea is great for trying a new saddle but instead of ruining a good pair of socks, I wrap the leathers in stable bandages and tuck in the ends. This prevents damage to the new saddle and allows you to reuse the bandages for what they were intended.:0)

Posted on Thursday, Aug 31, 2000 - 4:56 pm:

Here's a vehicle tip for folks that make be driving on icy roads (remember those) or may be stuck in a wet pasture.

Keep a couple of very old bath towels in your vehicle. When you realize you have no traction, instead of spinning your wheels down to the lug nuts, get out of your vehicle and place a towel flat out in front of the two drive wheels - in my case the rear wheels. Then, gently drive on out - the towels will give you enough traction to get going. If they are worth picking up, stop on a flat or slightly down hill surface and get them.

They are great in a pinch.

(I hope I've not posted this before ... things get fuzzy when you are 47, GRIN.)

Posted on Sunday, Sep 3, 2000 - 6:06 pm:

Hi Christine,

up here in icy canada drivers frequently carry bags of kitty litter or sand in the back of their vehicles. The weight helps keep the rear end stable and it can be used for traction when stuck.

TeresaA

Posted on Monday, Sep 4, 2000 - 2:36 pm:

Recycling manure attractively...create berms to define field divisions, even property lines in non-developed areas or along a road front.

We recently built a new house and had tons of shale to get rid of. Trucking it out was very expensive. We needed some privacy berms and also since we front on a busy commuter road thought some berms there to block out the road would be desirable.

We had the contractor create berms with the shale. Eventually weeds covered the shale. Then my husband got the idea of covering the shale, during the winter, with manure (mixed with bedding) that he sculpted onto the shale berms. In the spring he arranged with our township to have truckloads of woodchips from the town recycling center delivered which he now placed on top of the manure. Voila, looks like a landscaper did it as part of a plan. This winter he will continue the process. Meanwhile the manure/bedding/wood chips will decompose and become "dirt" and we will then plant some evergreens after it is well-aged. Before then we will do our property line which is solid poison ivy, no shale. Our farm trail goes around the perimeter of the farm and we found the berm to act almost like a fence or barrier. And the horses feel right at home being ridden alongside. The trail berms will be only manure/shavings (no shale or dirt)and then will be topped again with the wood chips that cost only for delivery at about $35 a load. In the event we get neighbors next to us we will already have a privacy barrier in place at very little cost.

Before you all ask....yes, the health dept. made a visit before the wood chips went on, on the berm along the road. Someone had anonymously complained. The health officer found no odor or anything objectionable about the use. The nearest neighbor was across the street. The general opinion is that it looks very good, better than the usual roadside weeds and scrub. The main thing is that it was not just "dumped" but was graded and sculpted by the tractor into a landscaper type of berm so was not a "pile" as is found in the "berm" behind the barn. LOL.

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 5, 2000 - 5:38 pm:

Hi,

This trick about Listerine for getting your horse's coat shiny? Do you use the regular Listerine mouthwash that tastes so bad? What ingredient do you think makes this trick work? Any danger for the horse's skin...???
I'm very curious?

Would anyone happen to know of a way to make a horse's mane and tail silky?

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 5, 2000 - 6:03 pm:

Claudette,
I use Cowboy Magic Detangler on manes and tails,it works great. I have also had good luck with Absorbine Show Sheen.

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 6, 2000 - 2:54 pm:

I tried Listerine sprayed onto the coat and I did not notice any increase in shine.

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 6, 2000 - 5:28 pm:

I have heard of Listerine to reduce/stop itching of the mane and tail, but not to get a shiny coat. For that, I have heard of adding cider vinegar to rinse water - it will cut all the remaining mineral/soap residue which is what dulls the coat.

To get a silky mane and tail, it first has to be healthy, so you may be a while getting there. Some manes and tails, like human hair, just won't be silky and soft. Show Sheen will certainly make it tangle-free and shiny for a while, but the silicon in it will dry it out if used too often. A good shampoo and conditioner are your best bet - one with Tea Tree Oil, coconut oil, and other oils is working the best for me.

Posted on Thursday, Sep 7, 2000 - 8:54 pm:

Hi everybody,

Nice replies! I do use Absorbine Show Sheen... it does a good job on detangling but it does seem to build up after a while...

I will try the cider vinegar... Maybe like you said Jordane it just won't ever be silky and soft..

Up here in Quebec I didn't get a chance to wash and shampoo and condition my horse this summer because of not very hot weather and no indoor facility...

I have used Infusium (the stuff they advertise on TV for nice shiny human hair...) some good result but not terrific!

Thanks to all and Jackie that is some picture you've got in your profile... from what I read you and I endeavour in the same activities, trail riding and camping with the horses :-) Lots of fun isn't it?

Bye

Posted on Friday, Sep 8, 2000 - 12:05 am:

Claudette,
Yes, the camping is my favorite. I have a Morgan Mare who's mane is very course also. When I bathe her, I use the Show Sheen but the Cowboy Magic seems to keep her mane and tail silky for a long time. And that stuff I use even when she's dry. I bathed her about 1 month ago and used it and she's still silky soft, even with all the rolling that she does.
As to my profile, I'm still new to this computer stuff and it was a picture that my Mom sent me along with the song "A Horse with No Name".
Any way, try the Cowboy Magic and I bet you'll like it even better than Show Sheen!
Happy Camping!!
Jackie

Posted on Friday, Sep 8, 2000 - 1:40 pm:

If you use a fly mask with fleece protection (like Farnam's), I recently discovered a great way to help reduce the population of flies which tend to congregate on uncovered facial areas (obviously pissed off because they can't reach the eyes!!).
Instead of wiping fly spray directly on the horse's face (particularly the nose area of the horse, which can be easily wiped off or soaked off in the water trough), simply spray your favorite fly spray throughly into the fleece area of the mask - BEFORE IT GOES ON THE HORSE - holding the sprayer close for thorough saturation.
I use Equicare's Citronella spray (I find it's the only one that REALLY WORKS), and have definitely seen a reduction in the flies annoying the facial areas of my horse not covered by the mask.

Posted on Monday, Sep 18, 2000 - 10:54 pm:

Whenever I have left over bread I dry it and store it in a dry place and use it for treats. Then when I am going to feed a slice or 2 ( I always check for mold just to make sure) to my horses I put it in a plastic shopping bag.

Now when they hear the bag they want to get their piece of dried bread.

One of my horses escaped at a boarding facility a few years back and the owner couldn't catch him and called me. All I did was take a plastic shopping bag and called his name...and sure enough he came right to me.

Posted on Friday, Sep 22, 2000 - 11:24 am:

Stale bagels also work well. I bought one of those hanging balls that has the stick above it that you can put treats on, and hung it high in my young horse's stall (but so it would still swing freely). I would go to a bagel shop periodically and get all the stale bagels they were going to throw out and string 4 or 5 on the stick at a time. It would keep my horse occupied for several days before she finally managed to eat it all (because it would swing out of the way when she tried to bite it) and keep her from wreaking havoc on her blanket, her neighbor, etc. The bagel shop was happy to know that the old bagels weren't going to waste, too.

Posted on Friday, Sep 22, 2000 - 11:34 am:

For silky manes and tails, I am a big fan of the Quic products. I use Quic Condition I on the mane and tail after washing them (it's not hard to wash them without washing the rest of the horse--I usually wash them every 2 weeks or so), and let it set a good 10 minutes before rinsing. If the tail is really dry, I really saturate it. Then, for daily grooming, I use the Quic Condition II, which is a spray on product. It is moisturizing and detangling, and really keeps the tails lovely. I hate Show Sheen because of the dirt-attracting residue it leaves, but have found that Quic Sheen offers the same benefits without the residue.

Posted on Friday, Sep 22, 2000 - 11:51 am:

Gay: I think that you are going to be my BEST FRIEND! I have been looking for one of those "hanging ball with the stick" things that you can hang treats on for MONTHS! Where did you purchase that thing? I live in Arizona, but maybe you bought it from a catalog? If necessary, I will go to the ends of the EARTH to get one! If you could tell me where you purchased it, you will make me VERY happy!

Posted on Saturday, Sep 23, 2000 - 11:47 am:

I bought it from Mary's Tack Shop in Del Mar. If you call them, they will take orders by phone and mail them. I only know their local number, but they have a website. Let me know if you have trouble locating them.

Posted on Saturday, Sep 23, 2000 - 12:22 pm:

Lynn - Dover Saddlery (Massachusetts) also carries the "hanging ball with treat stick" for horses. They call it a "Boredom Breaker" (Item #2C-27156) and had it on sale recently for $34.90 (although I think the sale price was only good until 8/31). You can get a catalog from them by calling 1-800-989-1500 or visiting their website www.doversaddlery.com.
Bonnie

Posted on Sunday, Sep 24, 2000 - 9:25 pm:

I keep diaper wipes in my tack box - the non-alcohol, non-perfumed ones. They are great for wiping off everything from hands to brushes to manure stains ... and I even use them for a quick cleanup of those chunky bits in my horse's sheath.

Posted on Thursday, Sep 28, 2000 - 9:51 pm:

Now that the cold weather is fast approaching here Michigan,I always buy a box of exam gloves to wear under my regular gloves to keep my hands and fingers extra warm. My hands tend to be really chapped because of the constant washing at work, and with the exam gloves, your hands tend to sweat, so by the time I get back in the house and use a little lotion, it's like having a manicure!But I think the best part is that it takes away the need to wear big bulky gloves!
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